"None in the world, sir. It is your object to clear your ship of adelinquent, and let those among whom he committed the fault bethe agents."

"Ay--ay! this is what Vattel calls the comity of nations. Captain Ducie, Ibeg you will issue your orders."

The English commander had foreseen some difficulty, and, in sending awayhis boat when he came below, he had sent for a corporal's guard. These menwere now in a cutter, near the ship, lying off on their oars, in a rigidrespect to the rights of a stranger, however,--as Captain Truck was gladto see, the whole party having gone on deck as soon as the arrangement wassettled. At an order from their commander the marines boarded the Montauk,and proceeded below in quest of their prisoner.

Mr. Sandon had been left alone in Eve's cabin; but as soon as he foundhimself at liberty, he hurried into his own state-room. Captain Truck wentbelow, while the marines were entering the ship; and, having passed aminute in his own room, he stepped across the cabin, to that of theculprit. Opening the door without knocking, he found the unhappy man inthe very act of applying a pistol to his head, his own hand being just intime to prevent the catastrophe. The despair portrayed in the face of thecriminal prevented reproach or remonstrance, for Captain Truck was a manof few words when it was necessary to act. Disarming the intended suicide,he coolly counted out to him thirty-five pounds, the money paid for hispassage, and told him to pocket it.

"I received this on condition of delivering you safe in New York," hesaid; "and as I shall fail in the bargain, I think it no more than just toreturn you the money. It may help you on the trial."

"Will they hang me?" asked Mr. Sandon hoarsely, and with an imbecilitylike that of an infant.

The appearance of the marines prevented reply, the prisoner was secured,his effects were pointed out, and his person was transferred to the boatwith the usual military promptitude. As soon as this was done the cutterpulled away from the packet, and was soon hoisted in again on thecorvette's deck. That day month the unfortunate victim of a passion fortrifles committed suicide in London, just as they were about to transferhim to Newgate; and six months later his unhappy sister died of abroken heart.

Chapter XXXIV.

We'll attend you there: Where, if you bring not Marcius, we'll proceed In our first way.

CORIOLANUS.

Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville had been unwilling spectators of a portionof the foregoing scene, and Captain Ducie felt a desire to apologise forthe part he had been obliged to act in it. For this purpose he had beggedhis friend the baronet to solicit a more regular introduction than thatreceived through Captain Truck.

"My friend Ducie is solicitous to be introduced, Miss Effingham, that hemay urge something in his own behalf concerning the commotion he hasraised among us."

A graceful assent brought the young commander forward, and as soon as hewas named he made a very suitable expression of his regret to the ladies,who received it as a matter of course, favourably.

"This is a new duty to me, the arrest of criminals," added Captain Ducie.

The word _criminals_ sounded harsh to the ear of Eve, and she felt hercheek becoming pale.

"Much as we regret the cause," observed the father "we can spare theperson you are about to take from us without much pain; for _we_ haveknown him for an impostor from the moment he appeared.--Is there not somemistake? That is the third trunk that I have seen passed into the boatmarked P. P."

Captain Ducie smiled, and answered,--

"You will call it a bad pun if I say P. P. see," pointing to Paul, who wascoming from the cabin attended by Captain Truck. The latter was conversingwarmly, gesticulating towards the corvette, and squeezing hiscompanion's hand.

Good breeding and intense feeling caused a profound suspense, until theyoung man himself approached the party. Paul endeavoured to be calm, andhe even forced a smile as he addressed his friends.

"Although I escape the honours of a marine guard," he said,--and Evethought he said it bitterly, "I am also to be taken out of the ship.Chance has several times thrown me into your society, Mr. Effingham---Miss Effingham--and, should the same good fortune ever again occur, I hopeI may be permitted to address you at once as an old acquaintance."

"We shall always entertain a most grateful recollection of your importantservices, Mr. Powis," returned the father, "and I shall not cease to wishthat the day may soon arrive when I can have the pleasure of receiving youunder my own roof."

Paul now offered to take the hand of Mademoiselle Viefville, which hekissed gallantly. He did the same with Eve's, though she felt him tremblein the attempt. As these ladies had lived much in countries in which thisgraceful mode of salutation prevails among intimates, the act passed as amatter of course.

With Sir George Templemore, Paul parted with every sign of good-will. Thepeople, to whom he had caused a liberal donation to be made, gave himthree cheers, for they understood his professional merits at least; andSaunders, who had not been forgotten, attended him assiduously to the sideof the ship. Here Mr. Leach called, "the Foam's away!" and Captain Ducie'sgig was manned. At the gangway Captain Truck again shook Paul cordially bythe hand, and whispered something in his ear.

Every thing being now ready, the two gentlemen prepared to go into theboat. As Eve watched all that passed with an almost breathless anxiety, alittle ceremonial that now took place caused her much pain. Hitherto themanner of Captain Ducie, as respected his companion, had struck her asequivocal. At times it was haughty and distant, while at others it hadappeared more conciliatory and kind. All these little changes she hadnoted with a jealous interest, and the slightest appearance of respect orof disrespect was remarked, as if it could furnish a clew to the mysteryof the whole procedure.

"Your boat is ready, sir," said Mr. Leach, stepping out of the gangway togive way to Paul, who stood nearest to the ladder.

The latter was about to proceed, when he was touched lightly on theshoulder by Captain Ducie, who smiled, Eve thought haughtily, andintimated a desire to precede him. Paul coloured, bowed, and falling back,permitted the English officer to enter his own boat first.

"These commanders of vessels of war are little kings," quietly observedMr. Effingham, who had unavoidably noticed the whole procedure.

The gig was soon clear of the ship, and both the gentlemen repeated theiradieus to those on deck. To reach the corvette, to enter her, and to havethe gig swinging on her quarter occupied but five minutes.

Both ships now filled away, and the corvette began to throw out one sheetof cloth after another until she was under a cloud of canvas, againstanding to the eastward with studding-sails alow and aloft. On the otherhand, the Montauk laid her yards square, and ran down to the Hook. Thepilot from the corvette had been sent on board the packet, and, the windstanding, by eleven o'clock the latter had crossed the bar. At this momentthe low dark stern of the Foam resembled a small black spot on the seasustaining a pyramid of cloud.

"You were not on deck, John, to take leave of our young friend Powis,"said Mr. Effingham, reproachfully.

"I do not wish to witness a ceremony of this extraordinary nature. And yetit might have been better if I had."

"Better, cousin Jack!"

"Better. Poor Monday committed to my care certain papers that, I fancy,are of moment to some one, and these I intrusted to Mr. Powis, with a viewto examine them together when we should get in. In the hurry of parting,he has carried them off."

"They may be reclaimed by writing to London," said Mr. Effingham quietly."Have you his address?"

"I asked him for it; but the question appeared to embarrass him."

"Embarrass, cousin Jack!"

"Embarrass, Miss Effingham."

The subject was now dropped by common consent. A few moments of awkwardsilence succeeded, when the interest inseparable from a return home, afteran absence of years, began to resume its influence, and objects on theland were noticed. The sudden departure of Paul was not forgotten,however; for it continued the subject of wonder with all for weeks, thoughlittle more was said on the subject.

The ship was soon abreast of the Hook, which Eve compared, to thedisadvantage of the celebrated American haven with the rocky promontoriesand picturesque towers of the Mediterranean.

"This portion of our bay, at least, is not very admirable," she said,"though there is a promise of something better above."

"Some New-York cockney, who has wandered from the crackling heat of hisNott stove, has taken it into his poetical imagination to liken this bayto that of Naples," said John Effingham; "and his fellow-citizens greedilyswallow the absurdity, although there is scarcely a single feature incommon to give the foolish opinion value."

"But the bay above _is_ beautiful!"

"Barely pretty: when one has seen it alone, for many years, and hasforgotten the features of other bays, it does not appear amiss; but _you_,fresh from the bolder landscapes of Southern Europe, will bedisappointed."

Eve, an ardent admirer of nature, heard this with regret, for she had asmuch confidence in the taste of her kinsman as in his love of truth. Sheknew he was superior to the vulgar vanity of giving an undue merit to athing because he had a right of property in it; was a man of the world,and knew what he uttered on all such matters; had not a particle ofprovincial admiration or of provincial weakness MI his composition; and,although as ready as another, and far more able than most, to defend hiscountry and her institutions from the rude assault of her revilers, thathe seldom made the capital mistake of attempting to defend a weak point.

The scenery greatly improved, in fact, however, as the ship advanced; andwhile she went through the pass called the Narrows, Eve expressed herdelight. Mademoiselle Viefville was in ecstasies, not so much with thebeauties of the place as with the change from the monotony of the ocean tothe movement and liveliness of the shore.

"You think this noble scenery?" said John Effingham.

"As far from it as possible, cousin Jack. I see much meanness and povertyin the view, but at the same time it has fine parts. The islands are notItalian, certainly; nor these hills, nor yet that line of distant rocks;but, together, they form a pretty bay, and a noble one in extent and usesat least."

"All this is true. Perhaps the earth does not contain another port with somany advantages for commerce. In this respect I think it positivelyunequalled; but I know a hundred bays that surpass it in beauty. Indeed inthe Mediterranean it is not easy to find a natural haven that does not."

Eve was too fresh from the gorgeous coast of Italy to be in ecstasies withthe meagre villages and villas that, more or less, lined the bay ofNew-York; but when they reached a point where the view of the two rivers,separated by the town, came before them, with the heights of Brooklyn,heights comparatively if not positively, on one side, and the recedingwall of the palisadoes on the other, Eve insisted that the scene waspositively fine.

"You have well chosen your spot," said John Effingham; "but even this isbarely good. There is nothing surpassing about it."

"But it is home, cousin Jack."

"It is _home_, Miss Effingham," he answered, gaping, "and as you have nocargo to sell, I fear you will find it an exceedingly dull one."

"We shall see--we shall see," returned Eve, laughing. Then, looking abouther for a few minutes, she added with a manner in which real and affectedvexation were prettily blended, "In one thing I do confess myselfdisappointed."

"You will be happy, my dear, if it be in only one."

"These smaller vessels are less picturesque than those I have beenaccustomed to see."

"You have hit upon a very sound criticism, and, by going a little deeperinto the subject, you will discover a singular deficiency in this part ofan American landscape. The great-height of the spars of all the smallervessels of these waters, when compared with the tame and level coast,river banks, and the formation of the country in general, has the effectto diminish still more the outlines of any particular scene. Beautiful asit is, beyond all competition, the Hudson would seem still more so, wereit not for these high and ungainly spars."

The pilot now began to shorten sail, and the ship drew into that arm ofthe sea which, by a misnomer peculiarly American, it is the fashion tocall the East River. Here our heroine candidly expressed herdisappointment, the town seeming mean and insignificant. The Battery, ofwhich she remembered a little, and had heard so much, although beautifullyplaced, disappointed her, for it had neither the extent and magnificenceof a park, nor the embellishments and luxurious shades of a garden. As shehad been told that her countrymen were almost ignorant of the art oflandscape gardening, she was not so much disappointed with this spot,however, as with the air of the town, and the extreme filth and poverty ofthe quays. Unwilling to encourage John Effingham in his diposition tocensure, she concealed her opinions for a time.

"There is less improvement here than even I expected," said Mr. Effingham,as they got into a coach on the wharf. They had taught me, John, to expectgreat improvements. "And great, very great improvements have been made inyour absence. If you could see this place as you knew it in youth, thealterations would seem marvellous."

"I cannot admit this. With Eve, I think the place mean in appearance,rather than imposing, and so decidedly provincial as not to possess asingle feature of a capital."

"The two things are not irreconcilable, Ned, if you will take the troubleto tax your memory. The place _is_ mean and provincial; but thirty yearssince it was still meaner and more provincial than it is to-day. A centuryhence it will begin to resemble a large European town."

"What odious objects these posts are!" cried Eve.

"They give the streets the air of a village, and I do not see theiruses."

"These posts are for awnings, and of themselves they prove the peculiarcountry character of the place. If you will reflect, however, you will seeit could net well be otherwise. This town to-day contains nearthree-hundred thousand souls, two-thirds of whom are in truth emigrantsfrom the interior of our own, or of some foreign country; and such acollection of people cannot in a day give a town any other character thanthat which belongs to themselves. It is not a crime to be provincial andrustic; it is only ridiculous to fancy yourselves otherwise, when the factis apparent."

"The streets seem deserted. I had thought New York a crowded town."

"And yet this is Broadway, a street that every American will tell you isso crowded as to render respiration impossible."

"John Effingham excepted," said Mr. Effingham smiling.

"Is _this_ Broadway?" cried Eve, fairly appalled.

"Beyond a question. Are you not smothered?"

Eve continued silent until the carriage reached the door of her father'shouse. On the other hand, Mademoiselle Viefville expressed herselfdelighted with all she saw, a circumstance that might have deceived anative of the country, who did not know how to explain her raptures. Inthe first place she was a Frenchwoman, and accustomed to say pleasantthings; then she was just relieved from an element she detested, and theland was pleasant in her eyes. But the principal reason is still inreserve: Mademoiselle Viefville, like most Europeans, had regarded Americanot merely as a provincial country, and this without a high standard ofcivilization for a province, as the truth would have shown, but as asemi-barbarous quarter of the world; and the things she saw so muchsurpassed her expectations, that she was delighted, as it might be,by contrast.

As we shall have a future occasion to speak of the dwelling of Mr.Effingham, and to accompany the reader much further in the histories ofour several characters, we shall pass over the feelings of Eve when fairlyestablished that night under her own roof. The next morning, however, whenshe descended to breakfast, she was met by John Effingham, who gravelypointed to the following paragraph in one of the daily journals.

"The Montauk, London packet, which has been a little out of time, arrivedyesterday, as reported in our marina news. This ship has met with variousinteresting adventures, that, we are happy to hear, will shortly be laidbefore the world by one of her passengers, a gentleman every way qualifiedfor the task. Among the distinguished persons arrived in this ship is ourcontemporary, Steadfast Dodge, Esquire, whose amusing and instructingletters from Europe are already before the world.--We are glad to hearthat Mr Dodge returns home better satisfied than ever with his owncountry, which he declares to be quite good enough for him It is whisperedthat our literary friend has played a conspicuous part in some recentevents on the coast of Africa, though his extreme and well known modestyrenders him indisposed to speak of the affair; but we forbear ourselvesout of respect to a sensibility that we know how to esteem.

"His Britannic Majesty's ship, Foam, whose arrival we noticed a day or twosince, boarded the Montauk off the Hook, and took out of her twocriminals, one of whom, we are told, was a defaulter for one hundred andforty thousand pounds, and the other a deserter from the king's service,though a scion of a noble house. More of this to-morrow."

The morrow never came, for some new incident took the place of thepromised narration. A people who do not give themselves time to eat, andwith whom "go ahead" has got to be the substitute of even religion, littletroubling themselves to go back twenty-four hours in search of a fact.

"This must be a base falsehood, cousin Jack," said Eve, as she laid downthe paper, her brow flushed with an indignation that, for the moment,proved too strong for even apprehension.

"I hope it may turn out to be so, and yet I consider the affairsufficiently singular to render suspicion at least natural."